Taskers DIY is almost like a version of Ikea but not as grand enough if you were to spend a whole…read moreday browsing their furniture and garden sections. This branch in Long Lane is a fairly large establishment compared to the branch in Wavertree. They sell a massive variety of products for your home, no matter how big or small a job you have. Staff will be there to help choose or find your items and give you a price estimate for that new bathroom suite or laminate flooring. Prices in general for DIY essentials are not too bad, obviously depending on the brand and type of item. Most of the time, you will find what you are looking for and not have to run around in circles since they have well displayed signs for each category. Taskers is certainly a decent store and up there with the best; it sells quality products at competitive prices therefore it is always worth a gander.

This is a great place to come if you have just moved into a new place or if you fancy redecorating…read more Their range includes eighteen departments of furniture and furnishings for every room in your house and garden plus DIY equipment and tools for all the services. They have a good selection of contemporary and conventional furniture styles. I've started saving for a new Parker Knoll chair. Although the business has been around 50 years and has a few stores around Liverpool, its still independently owned. Any queries will probably be answered by John Tasker son of the founder Jack. With their own kitchen designers, paint mixing, timber cutting and delivery services, this is an excellent alternative to soulless big chain shopping.

Zara Home whose appropriate next door neighbour is Zara, appears quite camouflaged as its outer…read morecolours blend in with Zara, so most of the time I walk past this without realising. I kick myself for not noticing because this neat little home ware shop offers a whole load of items, which are ideal to make your home look pretty and shiny. Amongst their terrific variety of products, they sell everything from crockery, linen to furniture and beds. You wouldn't think for a small shop like this, that they offer such a decent selection. Whilst prices are moderate, most items appear to be of decent quality. I wouldn't be too surprised if this store attracts many housewives and mothers. This store is perfect for transforming your home, such as making your mantle piece look ten times more fabulous!

A must for emerging and established knitters, Purlesque is a gorgeous boutique that sells beautiful…read morewool, yarn, buttons and crochet books. If you haven't got the patience or fingertips to stitch yourself, they also sell adorable hand-made bags, accessories and homeware. I love the mix of DIY jewellery, tote-bags, scarves and cushions but it's the knitted cupcakes and tea-cosies that I have my eye on. You bring the jam and scones, I'll get the kettle on...

This is a lovely little haberdashery store. The staff here are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable…read more Amongst the goodies on sale there is wool, yarn, buttons, jewellery beads, crochet kits, knitting patterns, bags, cushions, fabric and scarves. Everything is arranged neatly and the shop is a joy to browse around. This is a great little shop for when you're feeling a bit crafty :)

Eames rocking chairs Vegetal stools…read moreMartin sofas Panier tables Componibili storage rounds Mega Tolomeo floor lamps Elephant stools & Squirrel coat hooks As you might have gussed by now, Utility Home Store specialises in quality furniture by leading British and European designers. Beautifully arranged like a series of rooms, the stock ranges from stylish and sophisticated sofas and chairs in muted and neutral tones to more fun and playful tables, stools and bookshelves in fresh acid green, bright aqua, pillarbox red and pastel blue. Naturally, the big pieces of furniture come with equally big price tags but a lot of the smaller accessories are about the same price you'd pay in a homeware store like Habitat. Right now, they even have the beautiful bookshelves featured on the set of Pedro Almodovar's Broken Embraces. In short: a must for design and furniture lovers!

There are two shops on Bold Street, the household and the gift shop…read more First, the household. If you want something kooky and kitsch, or ultra modern and snazzy for your house, this is where you'll find it. Utility have a cool collection of appliances, crockery and furniture - pretty much everything you would find in an upper market Ikea. My favourite is the spoon shaped like a heart, or as I like to call it, the 'bum spoon' (you'll see what I mean if you look at the pics). It is also the place you can get a milk jug shaped like a cow, designer chairs (that are currently in the sale for a bargain £1k each) and ultra modern kettles that look like they're about to launch into space. The shop assistants are nice too - if there is something you can't find and they realise it's out of stock, they offer to take your phone number and call you when the item has arrived. If you can afford the price tag (warning: not a particularly student-friendly shop) it is the perfect place to head for furnishing your new pad.

Just because you can see everything that's on display here does not necessarily mean that it is a…read morelesser antique and collectibles store than your usual dusty and cluttered affair in which clambering around things and digging underneath piles is the usual course of events. I was, however, prevented from doing any sort of digging whatsoever as the shop was still closed and left under the care of the hippies from a nearby store. Apparently the woman who owned the shop was running a bit late today and would not be in til 14.00. The shop normally opens at 12 as well. However the store had an impressive display of cameras, old toys, art and a bright turquiose typewriter I was bit taken with - if only I could get to it.

Ah, Collage! I love you! :) After two years of living in Merseyside I finally found Gostins and…read morediscovered the delights of the many adorable shops and all they afford. Collage is by far one of my favourite shops in Gostins. They are an antiques and collectables shop and as the name suggests, they offer a fair variety of items all arranged artfully and happily on shelves, glass display cabinets, and baskets and boxes. Here you will find antique buttons, china, toys, books, collectables, decorations, jewellery, tableware and other kitchen items, and so much more. My favorite items were the old buttons (I need to go back for some!) and the little collectable animals from Rose Red tea boxes--I used to collect those back home in America when I was a kid. I bought a fox one four £4. I'm very pleased with my little critter. :) The shop also sells a small number of crafty items like packs of new buttons and charms. Everything is reasonably priced and the lady is very friendly and chatty. :) I highly recommend this shop!

Coffee tables Console tables…read moreSide-tables Floor lamps Wall lamps Light-boxes Mirrors Statues & Buddahas A few doors down from Zen Furniture, the company have a more interesting and eye-catching interiors shop with smaller pieces of furniture. Alongside the obligatory wooden coffee tables, bookshelves and side tables there are some beautiful, antique silver chests, fun lamps, big mirrors and hand-carved wooden sculptures and ornaments from buddhas and hindu gods to animals. Prices are reasonable for good quality teak, oak and mango wood and there's currently a sale on.

Part one of the Zen Furniture experience and I find myself in a world of Buddhas, little Chinese…read morefellas with sticks and a gold effect deer's head to be mounted, urm, God knows frankly? Maybe there is a new trend for gentleman club interiors with a modern twist? Hunting cabin/Tony Soprano chic? Is it just Liverpool or is a nationwide obsession with all things eastern and Buddhist? I know we have a reputation as being space cadets but this faux Eastern stuff is everywhere. Are we scousers so buried under the strain of modern living and the hustle and bustle of our work-a-day lives that we need to turn our homes into temples? I guess I can see how filling the house with lots of little bald fellas chubbier than myself will increase my tranquility and one-ness with the world. The funny side to the commercialism of ancient traditions was experienced by myself whilst in here as a couple wanted to find something meaningful for their home and spotted 'ahhh, a li'l cryin' fella', 'no, no' said the milf saleswoman 'that's a meditating Buddha', the woman looked puzzled and pointed to the box 'it says, li'l crying priest der...not sure how dat 'elps me chi?', 'er, well at least it's not you crying?', 'oh yeah'. Sold!...and yes milf.

Glitz is quite a unique little business providing customized display pieces for your home. There's…read morea huge range of vases and artificial flowers, stems and feathers which are combinedand arranged to customer specification or sold separately for individual creative ideas. Flowers and jewels are sold which could be used for alternative decorative uses and mirrors and ornaments are also on sale. I think this is a great business idea; you can buy something unique for your own home or createa personalised gift for a friend, it's a new take on the traditional bouquet, and it lasts forever!

Relax in Style on County Road is one of those little, hole-in-the-wall furniture shops that's…read moresurprisingly clean and trendy. They sell sofas, coffee tables, etc. and it's actually pretty nice stuff (not being cruel or anything, but County Road tends to be known for cheap, crappy shops.) If you're looking for something nice for your living room but you can't afford to go to one of the big name stores, this place offers some decent stuff at decent prices. They also sell a small amount of home décor items such as vases and decorative bowls.

I stumbled across this shop some time last year and they have now expanded and got a much larger…read morestore just a few doors away. I have bought several pieces of furniture from there and the prices are reasonable in comparison to some of the big stores in town. I think the furniture and mirrors are totally funky and bang up to date. My last buy was a red glass dining table that looks amazing. The two guys that run it are real gentlemen aswell and totally helpfull. I give it overall 10/10.

Brilliant stain glass. We asked Dennis for a bespoke stain glass window and he was brilliant to…read morework with and created a masterpiece for us. Couldn't recommend him more highly. Thank you very much indeed.

I was very impressed with the service, expertise and overall professionalism of DMB stained glass…read more I have had several quotes for the repair of stained glass in my front door and DMB was by far the most reasonable. Dennis Berry arrived on time to take the glass away for repairs. I received a text to say when he would return the glass, which was only 4 days later and true to his word he arrived promptly. He was very courteous. The repairs to the glass were outstanding and it is obviously a labour of love! I would have no hesitation in recommending him.